Judge denies bail reduction in DeKalb drug case

SYCAMORE – DeKalb County Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert declined to reduce bail Wednesday for one of the ten local residents arrested last week on crack cocaine conspiracy charges.

Dianatha Hardesty, 50, of the 900 block of North 14th Street, DeKalb, wanted her bail reduced from $50,000 to $5,000. One of her children has health issues related to a seizure and panic attack that happened April 30, the day she was arrested, and Hardesty has a medical issue of her own to address, Hardesty and her attorney said. Her daughter was able to scrape together $500.

"I have no money," Hardesty told Stuckert. "None."

Prosecutors weren't so certain, though. They have asked permission to question her about where she got her bail money if she does indeed post the $5,000 required with a $50,000 bail.

On Wednesday, prosecutors also pointed out that Hardesty had posted bail for her children in recent cases and covered the cost of electronic home monitoring for one of her children. Prosecutors said police recorded dozens of phone conversations from Hardesty's home phone number between her and Terry M. Griffin, 31, of Chicago, the suspected leader of a crack cocaine operation.

Her defense attorney argued that Hardesty was not a flight risk, having lived in DeKalb County for decades, and said she had a history of making her court appearances.

Hardesty has another felony case pending. She's due in court today on allegations she had less than 15 grams of cocaine on July 30, 2011, court records show.